Wildlife Species This chapter contains information on species featured in each of the ecoregions. Species are grouped by Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish. Species are listed alphabetically within each group. A general description, habitat requirements, and possible wildlife management practices are provided for each species. Wildlife management practices for a particular species may vary among ecoregions, so not all of the wildlife management practices listed for a species may be applicable for that species in all ecoregions. Refer to the WMP charts within a particular ecoregion to determine which practices are appropriate for species included in that ecoregion. The species descriptions contain all the information needed about a particular species for the WHEP contest. However, additional reading should be encouraged for participants that want more detailed information. Field guides to North American wildlife and fish are good sources for information and pictures of the species listed. There also are many Web sites available for wildlife species identification by sight and sound. Information from this section will be used in the Wildlife Challenge at the National Invitational. Participants should be familiar with the information presented within the species accounts for those species included within the ecoregions used at the Invitational. It is important to understand that when assessing habitat for a particular wildlife species and considering various WMPs for recommendation, current conditions should be evaluated. That is, WMPs should be recommended based on the current habitat conditions within the year. Also, it is important to realize the benefit of a WMP may not be realized soon. For example, trees or shrubs planted for mast may not provide cover or bear fruit for several years. Index to Wildlife Species Note: Refer to this list for the correct spelling and capitalization of species for Activity I (Wildlife Challenge). Birds (86) American bittern golden-cheeked warbler prairie falcon American black duck * golden-fronted woodpecker prothonotary warbler American kestrel golden-winged warbler pyrrhuloxia American robin grasshopper sparrow red-cockaded woodpecker American wigeon great horned owl red-eyed vireo American woodcock * greater prairie-chicken red-tailed hawk barred owl greater roadrunner redhead black-backed woodpecker* greater sage-grouse ring-necked pheasant black-bellied whistling duck hairy woodpecker rock pigeon black-capped chickadee house finch ruby-throated hummingbird black-throated sparrow house sparrow ruffed grouse * blue-winged teal house wren sage thrasher Brewer’s sparrow ladder-backed woodpecker scaled quail broad-winged hawk lark bunting sharp-tailed grouse brown thrasher* Lawrence’s goldfinch song sparrow California quail loggerhead shrike sooty grouse California thrasher long-billed thrasher southwest willow flycatcher Canada goose mallard spotted sandpiper common nighthawk marbled murrelet spotted towhee crested caracara mountain bluebird Virginia rail crissal thrasher mourning dove western bluebird dickcissel northern bobwhite western kingbird dusky grouse northern flicker white-tailed ptarmigan eastern bluebird northern goshawk * white-winged dove eastern meadowlark northern harrier wild turkey * European starling northern pintail Wilson’s snipe ferruginous hawk Nuttall’s woodpecker wood duck Gambel’s quail ovenbird * yellow-rumped warbler golden eagle peregrine falcon Wildlife Habitat Education Program 69 Mammals (34) American beaver desert cottontail New England cottontail * American marten eastern cottontail pronghorn big brown bat eastern fox squirrel raccoon black bear eastern gray squirrel red fox black-tailed jackrabbit elk red squirrel * black-tailed prairie dog fisher * river otter bobcat gray fox Rocky Mountain mule deer Brazilian free-tailed bat Indiana bat snowshoe hare * collared peccary mink white-tailed deer * Columbian black-tailed deer moose * wild pig common muskrat mountain cottontail coyote mountain lion Reptiles (9) eastern box turtle Gila monster Texas horned lizard eastern indigo snake gopher tortoise timber rattlesnake eastern snapping turtle plains hog-nosed snake western diamond-backed rattlesnake Amphibians (7) American bullfrog rough-skinned newt crawfish frog tiger salamander Monterey salamander wood frog * northern red-legged frog Fish (6) bluegill * cutthroat trout channel catfish largemouth bass* Coho salmon rainbow trout Range map keys for wildlife species Range map key for birds: Range map key for mammals, Range map key for fish: reptiles, and amphibians: Year Round Native Range Year Round Introduced Range Summer Winter Winter Migratory 70 Wildlife Habitat Education Program American black duck General information The American black duck is a large dabbling duck similar in size to mallards, ranging from 19 to 25 inches in length. They resemble the female mallard in color, though their plumage appears darker. The male and female black duck are similar in appearance. They have orange legs and feet and violet wing patches. The male black duck has a yellow to green bill, whereas hens have olive bills. Black ducks interbreed regularly and extensively with mallards. American black ducks frequent forested wetlands, Nieminen Gene tidewater areas, and coastal marshes of the eastern United States. They feed in a variety of shallow wetlands and agricultural fields. Their nests are built of vegetation and lined with down, found most often on the ground along edges of heavy cover, and generally close to water. Habitat requirements Diet: aquatic plants, invertebrates, waste corn, and grain are primary diet items Water: obtains water through diet Cover: forested and emergent wetlands for loafing; they also will feed in flooded grain fields Wildlife management practices Control Nonnative Invasive Vegetation: when nonnative invasive vegetation begins to degrade loafing or foraging cover in wetlands or nesting cover in uplands Wildlife or Fish Survey: black ducks are secretive and Leave Crop Unharvested: to provide a winter food source are often in woody emergent wetlands where accurate Livestock Management: livestock should be excluded surveys are difficult. Nonetheless, flush counts and from wetlands managed for waterfowl aerial surveys are most often used to estimate black Plant Food Plots: shallowly flooded grain plots duck populations. can provide a beneficial food source for migrating and wintering black ducks Plant Native Grasses and Forbs: where nesting cover is lacking Repair Spillway/Levee: if not functioning properly Set- back Succession: Prescribed Fire to rejuvenate vegetation in nesting areas and to maintain proper water and vegetation interspersion in wetlands Tillage Management: eliminating fall tillage can provide waste grain in the winter Water Control Structure: control water level in wetlands managed for waterfowl Water Developments for Wildlife: shallow impoundments can be important for migrating and wintering waterfowl; flooding grain fields and planting food plots in winter makes food more available 72 Wildlife Habitat Education Program American woodcock General information The American woodcock is a ground-dwelling, migratory shorebird of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada that primarily inhabits moist, young forest and shrubland. They breed, nest, and raise their broods from March to June in their northern range. Nests are located in slight depressions among dead leaves on the forest floor. They migrate to their southern range in the fall through winter. This gamebird has declined steadily over the past 25 years as a result of land-use changes that have resulted in forest maturation, fire suppression, and Baetsen Richard increased human development. High-quality woodcock habitat has a diverse arrangement of dense, young forest (and must include some moist sites) on 80 percent of the area, interspersed with large fields and small openings in close proximity. Habitat requirements Diet: invertebrates (earthworms represent 60 percent of diet) Water: obtained through diet Cover: openings with sparse herbaceous groundcover and scattered shrubs and/or young trees; for courtship and roosting; young hardwood forest 2- to 25-year-old, for foraging, nesting and brood rearingor shrub cover on moist sites Wildlife management practices Control Nonnative Invasive Vegetation: may be necessary if habitat quality is degrading and the native plant community is being outcompeted Edge Feathering: will create a soft edge between openings or agricultural fields and the forest that will encourage shrub and/or young tree growth Forest Management: Forest Regeneration, especially clearcut and Group Selection, can provide dense structure in young stands that woodcock select for several years, especially when a mosaic of openings and young forest is well-interspersed Livestock Management: exclude livestock from areas managed for American woodcock Plant Shrubs: where there is a lack of interspersed shrubs for foraging, nesting, courtship, or roosting cover Plant Trees: where there is a lack of forest cover Set-back Succession: Prescribed Fire, Chainsawing, Drum- chopping, and Herbicide Applications can be used to maintain young tree/shrub cover; Chainsawing, Root- plowing, and Dozer-clearing can be used to create forest openings Wildlife or Fish Survey: surveys on singing grounds can be used to estimate the relative size of the woodcock breeding population 76 Wildlife Habitat Education Program Black-backed woodpecker General information Black-backed